This article describes solutions for protecting coastal communities from the impacts of sea level rise.
Students will learn that individuals, local communities, and the state and the federal government must work together to prepare coastal communities for climate-induced flooding.
Teaching Tips
Positives
The text is easy to read and contains detailed pictures that help to illustrate the solutions.
Students can click on the blue superscript numbers, which appear next to each solution, for more information.
Additional Prerequisites
Students should have prior knowledge about coastal regions in the United States.
The link for the Slowing Land Sinkage section is broken.
Differentiation
Geography classes could use this interactive flood risk map to see which areas of the world are prone to flooding. Students could discuss which solutions from the article could help specific coastal communities around the world.
Social Studies and Civics classes could pair this resource with this short film on the Isle de Jean Charles and then discuss the pros and cons of managed retreat.
Earth science classes could watch this video on sea level rise and then discuss how climate action is a flood prevention solution.
Scientist Notes
The resource contains ideas and an action guide for designing solutions for smart cities and communities. Nature-based solutions are more prominent and students can explore the guide to implement these activities in their local communities. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
ESS3: Earth and Human Activity
MS-ESS3-2 Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and inform the development of technologies to mitigate their effects.
ETS1: Engineering Design
MS-ETS1-1 Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
HS-ETS1-2 Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Standards
Dimension 2: Civics
D2.Civ.12.9-12 Analyze how people use and challenge local, state, national, and international laws to address a variety of public issues.
Dimension 2: Geography
D2.Geo.12.9-12 Evaluate the consequences of human-made and natural catastrophes on global trade, politics, and human migration.
Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
Reading: Informational Text (K-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
